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Diego Maradona vs Johan Cruyff

Two greats, side by side: honours, records, money and the numbers that define them.

Diego MaradonaDiego Maradona Johan CruyffJohan Cruyff
FootballSportFootball
ArgentinaNationalityNetherlands
30 October 1960BornApril 25, 1947
1.65 m / 5 ft 5 inHeight1.78 m / 5 ft 10 in
-Net worth$2M
4Major honours5
2Records3

Career Numbers

589Total club appearances-
311Total club goals-
91International caps48
34International goals33
-Total career appearances761
-Total career goals433

Honours Side by Side

Diego Maradona (4)

  • FIFA World Cup
  • FIFA World Cup
  • Copa América
  • FIFA Player of the Century

Johan Cruyff (5)

  • Ballon d'Or
  • FIFA World Cup Runner-up
  • European Championship
  • Laureus World Sports Award for Lifetime Achievement
  • Milliyet Sports Award for World Athlete of the Year

The Case for Each

Johan Cruyff brings the heavier trophy cabinet: 5 documented honours against 4 for Diego Maradona. Silverware is not the whole story, but it is the first line of any football argument.

On records, Johan Cruyff holds 3 documented marks to 2 for Diego Maradona. The headline entry: Most Ballon d'Or wins. Records show peaks; honours show sustained dominance. The two lists rarely agree on a winner, which is exactly why this debate refuses to die.

Put the raw numbers side by side and the picture sharpens. Diego Maradona shows 91 in international caps; Johan Cruyff answers with 48. Context matters: different leagues, different eras and different roles all bend a stat line, so treat the gap as a conversation starter rather than a verdict.

Put the raw numbers side by side and the picture sharpens. Diego Maradona shows 34 in international goals; Johan Cruyff answers with 33. Context matters: different leagues, different eras and different roles all bend a stat line, so treat the gap as a conversation starter rather than a verdict.

Football is the world's game, played and watched by billions across every continent. Its biggest stars carry entire nations on their shoulders, from World Cup finals to Champions League nights. No sport produces global icons at the same rate, and no debate burns hotter than who stands above the rest. That backdrop is what makes a matchup like this one resonate beyond the box scores.

Johan Cruyff is the senior figure by roughly 12 years, which frames the comparison: one career is closer to its final shape, the other still has chapters to write.

For the complete record, see Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, both updated daily with stats, honours and news on AthleteWiki.

Full profiles: Diego Maradona · Johan Cruyff